Sign.



'Unirse Sirarns Fastener @Erica LESTER E. LE LANDE, on Los ANeELEs, .caLrEoENia Slthl.

SPEECFICA'JLON forming part of Letters latent No.

eso,7zo, daten august 2o, reci.

Application iiled November 7, '1.900. Serial No. 35,753. (No model.)

be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the iigures' of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

invention relates to certain improvements in signs, and more particularly to that class of signs which may be moved from place to place and one which may also have its char- I dows,

acters and letters inter-changed and replaced by others.

My object is to furnish a sign which will be handy for use more particularly in show-winone which will be neat in appearance and which may be expeditiously changed so as to present a dierent and the desired purport. This l accomplish by the peculiar construction, novel combination, and adaptation of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings for a better comprehension hereof, in which- Figure lis a face view of my improved sign, showing the letter-blocks in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a rear side view of the same with a part of the hinged cover broken away. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detached sectional view throhgh line X X, Fig. 2, showing the beveled mat and letter-blocks itting therein. Fig. 4 is a detached face View of one of thel'etter-blocks, showing the beveled edges thereof.

Similar figures of" reference indicate correspending parts in the several views.

I employ a frame 1 very similar in construction to an ordinary picture-frame, which may be of any desired size or configuration. Near the front edge on the inner side l provide a groove 2, into which l fit a glass 3, as shown in Fig. 3. Next to the glass, on the rear side thereof, l place a mat 4., of suitable material, preferably from one-eighth to one-fonrth'of an inch thick, of a size suitable to r'it within the frame 1. The said mat 4: has a suitable number of openings with beveled edges cut therein., into which said openings letter, chai*- acter, or figure blocks 5, having beveled edges adapted to fit in said openings, are inserted, soy

as to present and maintain a fiat and continuous surface on the front iace. A comparatively ihin sheet 6 of pasteboard or bristolboard may be placed on the back of the'mat il and letter, character, fitted in the frame l, so as to hold said blocks 5 firmly in position. vA. cover 7, composed of stiff material, is hinged at one end tothe frame by hinges 8, and the other end of said cover is suitably secured to said frame 1]; but

l have shown the same secured by buttons at-v tached to the frame.

I print or otherwise attach a character 9 on the rear side of the mat 4 near the upper lefthand corner for the purposebf indicating the direction in which to build or compose the sign desired, as Vhereinafter described.

In front of the mat 4 and between said mat and the glass 3 I sometimes arrange a bordermat 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, which may be of various colors or variegated, or a number of border-mats, each of a different color,

may be used one at a time. As will be seen,l

many'combinations of colors may be used with a pleasing effect.

' The mode of operating my improved portable changeable sign is as follows: The frame l is prepared with the groove 2 andtted, together with the glass 3,'iu position in said groove. The cover is then placed on the back of and hinged to the Vframe by the hinges 8,

and the mat 4 is placed in the frame against the glass. The letter, character, or figure blocks 5 are all of the same size, as are also the openings in the mat Li. When it is desired to change the letters and words and present a diierent sign, the frame is placed face down, as shown in Fig. 2, and the cover 7 is raised, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3. The. operator then begins from the lower left-hand corner, as indicated by the character 9 in Fig. 2, and begins his composition and construction of the sign by inserting the letter,

struction thereof to the right, as inthe Word 'iihe, herein represented, first by placing or iigure blocks 5 and' character, Y'or figure blocks 5 in the A openings in the mat 4, Working in the con-- the letter T in the extreme lower left-hand corner, the letter 9 H in the next opening to the right', and the letter E in the next vacant opening tothe right in precisely the same manner as in setting type for the press. vFor the convenience of manipulation I have the letters .andjcharacters stamped on the back of the letter-blocks. When a word is completed, the remaindereof the openings in that line are filled with 4blank blocks, so as to presen-t a flat continuous surface. When a space is desired, as between words, a blank block may be inserted. After the sign has been compieted the sheet 6 is then placed into position and the cover pressed on the the same and fastened in positione I do not eonline myself to any particular form or color of letter or character or figure, and n1any.fonts of type of various colorsv carefully blended may be used. Neither do I confine myself to the size or number of the letter, character, or figure blocks, used, as signs may be constructed in and sizes.

is a decided advantage.

glass, and a suitable backing arranged many shapes in presence of twlo witnesses.

R, LE LANDE. j"

Having thus described rnyinvention, what le I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isi-- A 1. A changeable sign, comprising a frame, a glass therein, a mat arranged at the inner side of the glass and having openings, letter, T character or gureblocks corresponding inI j thickness to the mat and in shape and size to the openings thereof and arranged in said openings and. against theinner side of the 1nl rear of the mat and blocks therein. 'l

2. A changeable sign comprising a frame,

'f aglass therein, a vmat arranged, in the frame `at the inner side of the glass and having openings the walls of which arey beveled, letter, character or figure blocks corresponding in thickness to the mat and in shape and size to the openings thereof and having correspondingly-beveled edges; said blocks being` removably arranged in the openingsof the mat, arid a suitable backing held in the frame in rear of the mat and blocks thereini, In testimonywhereof I ax my signature l LESTER. Witnesseszf v MALBRY Hamme,

JOSHUA B. WEBSTER. 

